“Kok Echo Store”: Playthings Connect Tai Kok Tsui Community
The greatness of playing is not just a leisure and joyful activity. It can be a hidden force that connects different generations in the neighborhood. Six students from the Sociology and Community Studies program used playthings as a medium to gather neighbors during a three-day exhibition in Tai Kok Tsui last month to have warm conversations with each other.
In the last few months, these students organized and invited the elderly from Tai Kok Tsui to join a one-day field trip in Tai Kok Tsui as well as workshops on dyeing, phone-case art making, and weaving. These activities were building connections between the elderly and the younger generation. Now, the students showcased their work through booths and exhibitions in Tai Kok Tsui.
The "Kok Echo Store" exhibition treated Tai Kok Tsui as a connecting echo chamber and decorated the booth as a nostalgic store to bring neighbors back to the past. Playthings that the elderly once played with were placed everywhere. People could pick one plaything, such as pogs and marbles, to immerse themselves in the elderly’s childhood experiences.
On the first day, 29 May, the booth was set up at the public space “RE: Pavilion”. Pedestrians from Tai Kok Tsui walking to the nearby shopping mall could stop by and enjoy playful moments at the students’ booth.
As bad weather was expected, the students moved their booth to the Re: TKT Co-Creation Space on the second and third days (30 May and 1 June). Neighbors could walk indoors to play with the toys.
Typically, neighbors would walk by and take a look, and suddenly, people began to gather. The incredible thing was that many parents brought their kids to play with the playthings. A lot of primary school students came in groups after school, creating an exciting vibe.
Through playing together in a moment, different generations learned about each other's playthings and how they played. This was a great opportunity for networking and enhancing social cohesion.
Some elderly participants from the workshops visited the booth in the public space “RE: Pavilion” to chat with the students once they met.
Grandparents stopped by to play with their kids and share what they used to enjoy in the past.
Simple games brought joy, even for a short period after lunch.
After school, primary students rushed into the booth to play games, and the students were busy responding to them.
An elderly showed students how to play with pogs.
A foreign domestic helper told students she also played the “throwing stones” game in her childhood.
Without saying a word, a small child played marbles happily with a student, a total stranger.
Participants’ stories were recorded, collected, and shared to foster connections among the community.
Playing not only enhances interaction between each other. It’s a great way to engage the elderly with the community.
